Momof3

I love this section of TT - it's been very helpful since WLS - my family LOVE many of the things I've tried from here.

I'm wondering if folks have some CHEAP dinner ideas. It's easy to find $2, $5 meal ideas online but they use a lot of pasta, ramen noodles, beans and cheeses in their ingredients. I'm not against those things but they arent exactly healthy for us or our families. Once in a while I'll fix the kids ramen noodles after school if I know they are starving and it's a couple days before payday, kwim? But I simply cannot feed them this or other variations on a regular basis.

Any suggestions to fixing AFFORDABLE, somewhat healthy meals? Money is extremely tight and I can't justify feeding my crew pasta every night - it's just not good for them. Same for potatoes and rice...

Now that I think about it, I'm feeling a little screwed in my choices (and not in a good way LOL)

__________________
Lap RNY 5/15/08
Highest - 370 2/2004
Pre Op - 341 (at start of 2 week diet)
Current - 323.8 - 5/22/08
285 - 6/24/08
262 - 9/2/08
251 - 10/28/08 *I bought my first clothes from the regular department, not the PLUS size department*
245 - 11/25/2008


http://www.myspace.com/ttoenyes

Rebirth_103008

Will they eat meatloaf? That's pretty inexpensive.

__________________
--Ms. Nei
342/309/302/209
Highest/Before Liquid Diet/Before Surgery/Current
Roux-en-Y Surgery Date: 10/30/08

Official Century Club Member (as of 8/23/09)

Momof3

yeah, and i make that - just cant make it every day LOL

__________________
Lap RNY 5/15/08
Highest - 370 2/2004
Pre Op - 341 (at start of 2 week diet)
Current - 323.8 - 5/22/08
285 - 6/24/08
262 - 9/2/08
251 - 10/28/08 *I bought my first clothes from the regular department, not the PLUS size department*
245 - 11/25/2008


http://www.myspace.com/ttoenyes

Corrine

If you search "Frugal Meals" - "Frugal Recipes" etc. etc. it'll bring up a load of good sites.

These look worth a browse:

Hillbilly Housewife Recipes
Cooking on a Budget?* Try our FREE quick and easy FRUGAL RECIPES!
Recipes - Cheap Meals - ThriftyFun
Easy recipes: CheapCooking.com

__________________
.....

~~~~~~~~24 Sept. 2007 - Lap. RNY & umbilical hernia repair
27 Oct. 2008 - Emergency Surgery - omental mass,
gallbladder, adhesions & appendix

..260 / 224.7/ 111
highest/surg./now
BMI 18.5...5'5"

Momof3

I've been looking at some of those but my concern is the heavy use of pasta and ramen noodles.

I'm hoping we can come up with some alternatives for WLS patients.

We are smart folks, we can come up with some stuff I'm sure LOL

__________________
Lap RNY 5/15/08
Highest - 370 2/2004
Pre Op - 341 (at start of 2 week diet)
Current - 323.8 - 5/22/08
285 - 6/24/08
262 - 9/2/08
251 - 10/28/08 *I bought my first clothes from the regular department, not the PLUS size department*
245 - 11/25/2008


http://www.myspace.com/ttoenyes

Corrine

Swap out the pasta for vegetables!

I don't eat pasta - too dense for my pouch so I use zucchini and/or carrots etc. instead.

I use a mandolin to finely slice them into ribbons.

__________________
.....

~~~~~~~~24 Sept. 2007 - Lap. RNY & umbilical hernia repair
27 Oct. 2008 - Emergency Surgery - omental mass,
gallbladder, adhesions & appendix

..260 / 224.7/ 111
highest/surg./now
BMI 18.5...5'5"

soon2bthin

Use spaghetti squash instead of the noodles. I love it.

__________________
When you feel that nobody loves you,
Nobody cares for you,
Everyone is ignoring you,
and people are jealous of you,
You should really ask yourself...
am i TOO sexy?"

Momof3

I have YET to successfully prepare a spaghetti squash for such use...

I've not been patient enough to try again

__________________
Lap RNY 5/15/08
Highest - 370 2/2004
Pre Op - 341 (at start of 2 week diet)
Current - 323.8 - 5/22/08
285 - 6/24/08
262 - 9/2/08
251 - 10/28/08 *I bought my first clothes from the regular department, not the PLUS size department*
245 - 11/25/2008


http://www.myspace.com/ttoenyes

soon2bthin

I cut mine in half and clean the guts. Then I spray each cut half with pam and bake it cut side down for about 40 minutes. Then when it comes out of the oven I just take a fork and put the insides out and it is just like spaghetti noodles. Good luck.

__________________
When you feel that nobody loves you,
Nobody cares for you,
Everyone is ignoring you,
and people are jealous of you,
You should really ask yourself...
am i TOO sexy?"

soon2bthin

What about doing some veggie soups with meat in them or chili. A pot of these goes a long way. Or do a stir fry. Frozen veggies are fairly inexpensive.

__________________
When you feel that nobody loves you,
Nobody cares for you,
Everyone is ignoring you,
and people are jealous of you,
You should really ask yourself...
am i TOO sexy?"